After famous follower Jennifer Aniston shared her diet success after eating on the Zone, many people started to pay attention to the Zone Diet. Using the principles of moderation, the Zone diet uses portion sizes and ratios to guide you to consume low-fat proteins, carbohydrates that have a low glycemic index and heart-healthy fats to balance hormones, thus reducing hunger.
Balancing Hormones
Feelings of hunger and the resistance to losing weight are controlled by your hormones, such as insulin (which stores fat), glucagon (which balances blood sugar levels) and eicosanoids (which reduce inflammation in the body). The Zone Diet is built around controlling these chief hormones through eating specific foods.
The Zone Diet Ratio
Created by Dr. Barry Sears, the diet provides a basic ratio of foods to eat to achieve hormonal balance and an easy reference guide for diet followers. Think of the ratios as pieces of a dinner plate: put a piece of grilled pork loin or chicken on 1/3 of the plate (protein); then, fill the remainder of the plate with fruits and vegetables and add some healthy fats such as olive oil, almonds or avocado slices. This would be an example of a meal that was "in the zone."
In addition to meals following this ratio, snacks such as fruit and yogurt, Zone bars or caramelized apples are allowed.
Foods to Avoid
The Zone does not require a follower to eliminate certain food groups, but instead eliminate foods that spike hormonal levels in the body, stimulating hunger and preventing fat loss. Avoid the following foods:
Simple carbohydrates such as potatoes, white rice, pasta, bagels and cereals.
Drinks such as orange juice, sodas, alcohol and caffeine-containing beverages.
Fruits such as bananas, prunes, figs, raisins or grapes.
Vegetables such as potatoes, peas, carrots or corn.
Timing and Zone Eating
The timing of Zone Diet meals also is regulated in order to maintain hormonal levels. Breakfast should be eaten no more than 1 hour after waking, lunch should be within 5 hours of breakfast, a snack is eaten within 5 hours of lunch, and dinner within 2 to 3 hours after a snack, and a small late-night snack should be eaten before bed.
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